QDN and QCOSS successful ILC Grant – Changing Lives, Changing Communities

Partners, Queenslanders with Disability Network (QDN) and Queensland Council of Social Service (QCOSS) are pleased to announce their successful grant “Changing Lives, Changing Communities” under the NDIS Information, Linkages and Capacity Building (ILC) National Readiness Grants (Round 2).

Changing Lives, Changing Communities will host community forums in six communities across metropolitan, regional, rural and remote areas of Queensland.  The forums will be led by people with disability, local community leaders and work in partnership with Local Councils. The forums aim to showcase people with disability as leaders and bring all parts of the community together to exchange information about community and mainstream services, talk about challenges and barriers and work together to co-create local community-owned solutions.

Ms Paige Armstrong, Chief Executive Officer of QDN says “The NDIS will enable more people with disability to access the support and opportunities they need to be actively leading, shaping and influencing their own lives and their community. QDN has 24 local support groups operating around the state, led by people with disability for people with disability. This project will offer a great opportunity to build upon what is happening in six different communities in Queensland, and something that could be undertaken in other states. Changing Lives, Changing Communities will  bring people together at the local level, to share what is key to that community and find ways forward to ensure people with disability are empowered, connected, and can access the services they need as equal citizens.”

This project builds upon place-based work that has been community led in Townsville over the past two and half years, as a partnership between QCOSS, QDN and the Townsville City Council working with key community organisations and community leaders. “Place-based work is critical in responding to the needs of communities and building strong, cohesive, thriving communities. I am very pleased that we can continue to grow this work in more communities across Queensland and support emerging and established leaders shape and lead real change across the state. It is a time that offers great opportunity and working together we can build this movement for change, ” said Mr Mark Henley, Chief Executive Officer of QCOSS.

The Townsville work has focused on bringing the NDIS to life, finding new ways of working together and celebrating achievements that are changing lives and the community. It has led to a range of community-led projects supported by the Townsville City Council which are generating positive solutions and actions to address key issues within this community for people with disability and their families and carers including housing, employment and inclusion.

QDN and QCOSS look forward to working together with the six local communities, including people with disability and their supporters, local councils, community organisations, mainstream services, businesses and community members to co-create community led solutions to build inclusive, thriving communities.